US Judge Finds Apple in Contempt Regarding Epic Games Case
(MENAFN) In a pivotal development in the prolonged legal conflict between Apple and Epic Games—the creator of Fortnite—a U.S. federal judge has determined that Apple deliberately disobeyed a 2021 court directive aimed at limiting its anti-competitive conduct.
The decision represents a significant moment in the tech industry’s scrutiny over monopolistic behavior.
As reported by the media, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued a sharp rebuke on Wednesday, declaring that Apple had obstructed app developers from guiding users toward alternative payment platforms beyond the App Store.
"Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated," Gonzalez Rogers asserted, emphasizing the seriousness of Apple’s conduct.
In response, the judge mandated that Apple must stop preventing developers from providing links to external purchasing methods.
Additionally, the ruling forbids the company from applying new fees on transactions that occur outside its app infrastructure.
The roots of this ruling trace back to Epic Games’ 2020 lawsuit, which alleged that Apple dominated the mobile app marketplace by obliging developers to utilize its exclusive payment system—allowing the tech giant to collect commissions as high as 30 percent.
Although Gonzalez Rogers dismissed the claim that Apple held a monopoly, she initially ordered changes to ensure fairer competition—changes that Apple, based on the court, failed to execute.
"In stark contrast to Apple’s initial in-court testimony, contemporaneous business documents reveal that Apple knew exactly what it was doing and at every turn chose the most anticompetitive option," the judge remarked, highlighting the contradiction between Apple’s legal defense and its internal strategies.
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